By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: Mabulala Maseko, the Maphalaleni Member of Parliament(MP) is allegedly plotting with the police to fabricate criminal charges against Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza as the calls for democratic reforms intensify

MP Maseko, a staunch Tinkhundla loyalist recently presented a cow to His Majesty King Mswati III ahead of Cabinet appointments and has been leading the process of removing MP Bacede Mabuza as Chairman of the Defense Portfolio Committee.

It has been disclosed that MP Mabuza received a call on Tuesday from the Police Headquarters and the caller indicated that Police National Commissioner William Dlamini wanted to talk to him regarding Parliament issues and a complaint from the Maphalaleni MP.

Reached for comments, Hosea MP Bacede Mabuza confirmed the matter adding that he subsequently called the National Commissioner directly, the Police Chief said MP Mabulala Maseko was complaining that he was threatening him in Parliament.

“I told the National Commissioner that he doesn’t have authority to interfere in anything within Parliament, he must read the Constitution. Parliament has disciplinary structures and processes to deal with such matters in the event they arise not even a court of law is allowed to interfere in Parliamentary affairs.Mabulala is desperate for a Cabinet post, so he is doing anything to achieve that by pleasing the system,” said the MP.

When reached for a comment by this Swaziland News, Maphalaleni MP Mabulala Maseko terminated the call, the MP is currently facing political pressure from residents of his Constituency who want him to advocate for democracy in Parliament.

The stand-off between the Maphalaleni MP and Mabuza comes after King Mswati suspended Parliament for about two months, a group of MPs were then lobbied and promised Cabinet posts to support the current political system.

An influential MP who spoke to this publication said the strategy to use other MPs against those who are vocal was not new as it was used during the era of the late Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini.

“In the midst of a burning issue and where there's a vacant post, they normally engage the MPs one by one and promise them the Cabinet position, they can even promise ten(10) of them just for one post. They know that once you are promised the post, you won’t tell other MPs and all of you would support the system in Parliament hoping to get that post But the end, only one person would get the post and by the time you realise, it would be too late”, said the MP.

Questions were sent to National Commissioner William Dlamini, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Eswatini is facing growing calls for democratic reforms from both inside and outside the Tinkhundla system of Governance.